According to MasterCard’s Survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities, debit cards were the most common choice for everyday expenses such as groceries (42 percent), dining out (41 percent) and personal care goods (38 percent) and services (33 percent).

The same source shows that when it comes to retail shopping (43 percent) and the purchase of household goods (42 percent), most consumers from New Zealand prefer to use their credit card, while internet banking is the preferred choice for mortgage/rent (58 percent) and utilities payments (46 percent).

The study also points out that although cash is still popular when it comes to purchasing small ticket items, such as public transportation, most people are choosing to use some form of electronic payment option for all other purchases or expenditure.